Door-operating arm for center-hung doors



Dec. 31, 1963 M. L-. CECALA DOOR-OPERATING ARM FOR CENTER-HUNG DOORS Filed Dec. 21, 1961 FIG. 2 1.4

I u l INVENTOR. MICHAEL L. CECALA BY ATT 'YS United States Patent 3,115,665 DGUR-UPERATKNG ARM FUR CENTER-RING DGQRS Michael L. Cecaia, Franklin Park, 111., assignor to The Qscar C. Rixson (10., Franklin Park, 1th, a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 21, 1%1, Ser. No. 160,979 7 Claims. (Cl. 16129) This invention relates to the operating arm by which center-hung doors are operatively connected to an overhead door operator or door closer mechanism.

Center-hung doors, generally equipped with some form of door-closing mechanism, are hinged on top and bottom pivotal mountings the pivotal axes of which are vertically aligned as close as practical to the jamb of a doorway frame. These top and bottom pivotal mountings comprise coacting elements that are located, respectively, in or on the door ends and in or on the transom of the door-way frame and in or on the floor. The top mounting element, in the arrangement shown, is an automatic door closer mechanism mortised into the transom and includes a dependin spindle to which is attached an arm secured to the upper end of the door. The bottom mounting element, which is located in or on the floor, includes a thrust bearing on which is rotatively seated a bracket element secured to the door.

Center-hung doors always have presented the problem of setting the door relative to the door-way in such a manner as to make possible a facile positioning of the door on the pivotal mountings.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of operating arm for center-hung doors; to provide an improved form of operating arm for center-hung doors which is capable of facile connection to and disconnection from a driving spindle; to provide a door-operating element of this kind having means for automatically latching the element to the driving spindle, when the door first is set in place on its pivots, pending a permanent anchoring of the element to the spindle; to provide an improved door-operating element of this kind of such simple construction as to make very economical its manufacturing and extremely facile the positioning of the door on or its removal from the door pivots; and to provide an improved door-supporting element of this kind adapted 'for use with either metal or wood doors.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front face view of a center-hung door in closed position, the operating element for which is constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view of this improved form of door-operating arm shown recessed in the top end of an aluminum door and connected to a driving spindle;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the arm position as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental, sectional View taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, plan view of a pivot plate for use with this improved door-supporting element when set in a wooden door;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a channel-shaped centering bracket for use as a backing for the heads of the adjusting means by which the arm is shifted to center the door in the door frame; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spindle connecting end of the operating arm showing the relation of the latch element and the spindle straddling studs.

The essential concept of this invention involves providing an element pivotally supported for angular adjustment in the channeled end of a door and having means for effecting an automatic latching and driving connection of the element with the operating spindle of a closer mechanism when the door is first set into the door frame and on its bottom pivot, so that the door will be operatively supported pending a permanent connection of the element to the said spindle.

A door-operating element or arm, for use with a center-hung door 10 and embodying the foregoing concept comprises an arm 11 mounting a pivot pin 12, adjacently forward of a two-section hub 13, and a latch 14 extending.

rearwardly along the hub 13 to dispose a shoulder 15 on the latch 14 rearwardly of a spindle opening 16 in the hub 13.

A conventionfl center-hung door 16*, such as shown in FIG. 1, is hinged on pivotal mountings 17 and 18, indicated in dotted outlines. Generally, the upper pivotal mounting 17 is a door-closing mechanism 20 which includes a driving spindle 19 to which is attached the arm 11 which has been previously mounted on the door 11) the spindle extending downwardly from the doorway transom 21. The lower pivotal mounting 1-8 generally is a two-piece structure with a thrust bearing 22 for positioning on or in the floor, and some form of bracket element for fixing on the door and provided with a thrust bearing seat. The spindle 19 and the thrust bearing 22 are vertically aligned usually closely adjacent to the doorway jamb 23. Such a mounting for doors 10' presents the major problem of facile positioning of the door on these aligned pivotal mountings and attaching the door arm 11 to the spindle 19.

The arm 11, as here shown, is inverted channel-shaped in transverse cross-section, and tapered from the two-section hub 13 forwardly to a reduced end mounting ad justing screws 24. Such an arm 11 may be cast or forged, or possibly, stamped metal. The one hub section 26 is integral with the arm 11, slightly offset upwardly from the main part, and is formed with a rearwardly-facing V-shaped recess 27. The other hub section 28, constitutes an extension of the arm 11, and is formed with a complementary ll-shaped recess 29, the two V-shaped recesses 27 and 29 constituting a rectangular-shaped or nonci'rcular spindle opening 16. Pairs of studs 3d are firmly mounted on the inner hub member 26 and project rearwardly therefrom to extend through the appropriate openings in the hub extension '28 on opposite sides of the V-shaped recess 2h and the hub section 28 is secured on the studs 3%) by suitable nuts 31 for clamping the arm 11 to the spindle 19. As shown, the studs 3% are spaced apart a lesser distance than the opposite corners of the spindle 19, and accordingly the corners of the spindle are cut away as at 35 to permit the studs 30' to pass. This serves an important function as will hereafter appear.

T he pivot pin 12 is set into the arm 11, adjacently forward of the hub section 26, and projects downwardly from the arm for seating in the base 32 of the upper end door channel 33, whereby the arm 11 may be angularly adjusted with respect to the centerline of the door channel 33 by means of the adjusting screws 24. The pivot pin 12 here is shown secured in the arm 11 by a press fit into a drilled aperture and by peening over or staking the end of the pin on the upper side of the arm. However, the pin 12 could be threaded into the arm 111 if desired. As shown, the pivot pin 12 is formed with an integral circumferential flange 34 which serves as a head to permit the pin 12 to be staked to the arm from the upper side thereof.

The latch 14 here is shown as a narrow strip of stifi spring metal apertured at one end to receive a rivet Z5 and be held in place by the rivet head, as shown in FIG. 2. The length of the spring is such as to dispose the shoulder or hook 15 at its end sufiiciently rearward of the V-shaped opening in the hub section 26 to seat in a notch as in the pivot spindle 19. The latch spring 14 extends reanwardly from the rivet 25 and has a second aperture 37 through which the pivot pin 12 passes, the spring 14 at this point being below the flange 3d of the pivot pin 12. The pivot pin thus serves to secure the latch 14 against sidewise movement relative to the arm 11. The notch 36 is cut in the end of the spindle 19' across the corner that is nearest the jamb 23 of the doorway.

An arm 11 of this structure is adapted for use with either metal or wood doors. if the door is metal the upper end channel base 32 affords an ample rigid bearing for the pivot pin 12. 1f the door is wood a small journal plate 33 (FIG. 5) is secured in the channel base 32, by screws 39, in opposition to the pivot pin 12. Also, for both metal and wood doors an upwardly opening channelsh aped plate ll (FIG. 6) is mounted on the under side of the forward end of the arm 11, by means of a shouldered rivet 4-1, with the channel legs disposed opposite the respective screws 24 to present metal abutments for the heads of the screws 2% when they are turned to effect the angular adjustment of the arm 11 relative to the door 10. This channel plate is provided with an elongate slot 4-2 for the rivet 41 to permit movement of the arm 1-1 relative to the plate which is of a width to set snugly in the channel 33.

The screws 24 constitute a conventional means for permitting a lateral adjustment of the arm 11 with res ect to the door 1t? to insure the proper disposition or centering of the door 19 in the door-way frame when the door is at its closed position. The heads of the screws 24, bearing against the legs of the channel plate 4h, during the opposite turning of the screws, cause the arm 11 to shift on the door 10* about the pivot pin 12 when the anchoring screws 43 are slightly retracted. These screws 43 extend through slightly elongated openings Ml in the arm 11 to permit the shifting of the arm 11 on the pivot pin 12 during this adjusting action.

A door 1 equipped with an arm 11 with the hereinshown and described pivot pin 12 and latch 14 makes possible the most facile setting of a center-hung door on the pivotal mountings 17 and 13 and the attaching of the arm 11 to the spindle 19.

Concurrently with the securing of this improved arm 11 in the door channel 33, a suitable form of bracket element is set in the bottom of the door 16 for seating on the thrust bearing 22 of the bottom pivot 13. Also, antecedent to setting the door 11), the desired form of doorclosing mechanism, with a spindle 19, is set in the transom 21 of the door-way frame to provide the top pivot 1'7.

Optional forms of thrust bearings 22 and coacting bracket elements are shown and described in my copending applications Ser. No. 199,321, filed June 1, 1962, and Ser. No. 199,507, filed June 1, 1962.

When mounting the door 119 in the door-way frame the vertically-positioned door 18, in a slightly open relationship to the door-way, is first set on the bottom pivot thrust bearing 22 and then the arm 11, with the hub extension 28 detached, is moved to pass the studs 30 of the hub section 26 on opposite sides of the spindle 19, the studs 36 straddling the spindle 19 through the cut-away portions 35 of the spindle corners. As the sp ndle 19 becomes seated in the recess 27 the shoulder on the spring latch 14 snaps in the spindle notch 36. Thereupon the door 16 becomes temporarily supported on the pivotal mountings 17 and 18 in a substantially closed relationship to the door-way frame. The one man, who thus set the door in such position, now swings the door to open position, the studs 31) serving as a wrench to turn the spindle 19 to the hold-open position of the closer mechanism so that the door will be held in the open position. The man is then free to go around to the back edge of the door, Without any holding or blocking of the door to maintain its setting, and attach the hub extension 28 to d the hub section 26 by applying and drawing up the nuts 31 on the studs 30.

Perfect alignment of the closed door 10 in the doorway will be permitted in the conventional manner by the loosening of the screws 43, when the door is in open position, and then adjusting the screws 24 to swing the arm 11 in the door channel 33 to whatever extent may be necessary.

When it becomes necessary to remove a door equipped with my improved operating arm 11, the door is first swung to hold-open position and the hub extension 28 is removed. Then the end of a screw driver inserted between the latch shoulder 15 and the spindle notch 36 will release the door from its attachment to the spindle 19 and allow the door to be set off from the pivotal mountings 17 and 18.

The main advantages of this invention reside in the novel arrangement for self-locking engagement with the driving spindle whereby the door can be mounted on its pivots by a single man merely setting the door in place; in the construction of the spindle engaging end of the operating arm whereby the door itself becomes the wrench for turning the spindle to hold-open position to make the rearward end of the arm accessible for permanent securement to the spindle; in the extremely simple construction of the operating arm and its resultant low manufacturing cost; in the unique arrangement of the adjustment screw bearing plate whereby it becomes a part of the operating arm structure; and in the fact that by the use of the improved operating arm a door can be installed by a single man using the most simple tools and without the need for blocks, shims or other temporary supporting means. i 5

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A door-operating arm for mounting the upper end of a center-hung door on an axially vertical driving spindle,

said arm being dimensioned for anchoring in a channel formed in the upper end edge of the door, and comprising (a) ahub section having a reaiwardly-open recess, (b) a hub extension element having a recess in one face thereof complemental to the hub-section recess,

(0) a pair of axially extending laterally spaced fasteners for attaching the hub extension element to the hub section with the respective recesses embracively clamping the arm to said spindle, and

(d) latch means on the hub section positioned to engage the said spindle for temporarily latching the door to the spintdle when the door is seated on an aligned bottom pivot and pending assembly of the hub extension on the hub section to operatively clamp the arm to the spindle.

2. A door arm as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hub section and hub extension recesses are ll-shaped to form a rectangular opening to fit a rectangular spindle, and wherein the said fasteners are studs extending from the hub section through respective bores in the hub extension and across opposite corners of the spindle through cut-out portions thereof.

3. A door-operating arm as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for latching the arm to a spindle is in the form of a strip of spring metal secured to the under side of the arm forwardly of the hub-section and extending rearwardly therefrom, and wherein the said latching means mounts a shoulder on its rear end for seating in a recess in the end of the spindle.

4. A door-operating arm as defined in claim 1 wherein the latch means comprises a strip of spring metal secured to the under side of the arm forwardly of the hub section and extending rearwardly across the bottom of the hub section, and wherein the rearward end of said strip is turned upwardly upon itself to provide a shoulder for engaging in a recess at the end of said spindle.

5. A doonoperating arm as defined in claim 3 wherein the said hub section mounts a fixed downwardly projecting pivot pin extending through an aperture in said strip of spring metal, and said strip is recessed into the bottom of said arm and spaced above the floor of the channel in which the said arm is anchored.

6. A door-operating arm for mounting the upper end of a center-hung door on an axially vertical driving spindle, said arm being dimensioned for anchoring in a channel formed in the upper end edge of the door, and comprising (a) a hub section having a rearwardly-open fiat sided recess, (b) a hub extension element having a recess in one face thereof complemental to the hub-section recess,

() fastener means extending rearwardly from the hub section for attaching the hub extension to the hub section with the respective recesses in opposition and embracively clamping the arm to said spindle,

(d) a pivot pin on the said hub section adapted for seating in the base of the door channel when the arm is anchored therein to permit relative angular adjustment of the arm and the door,

(e) a strip of spring metal (1) secured at its inner end to the under side of said arm and extending rearwardly of the hubsection recess,

(2) said strip having a shoulder for seating in a recess in the end of the spindle for temporarily latching the door to the spindle when the door is seated on a bottom pivot mounting pending assembly of the hub extension on the hub section to operatively clamp the arm to the spindle,

(3) said strip having an aperture through which said pivot pin extends and said strip being recessed into the under side of said arm to be spaced above the base of said door channel when the arm is anchored therein, (f) a pair of headed adjusting screws oppositely threaded into the forward end of the arm and extending laterally therefrom for eifecting a relative angular adjustment of the arm in the channel, and an upwardly open channel member mounted on the forward end of said arm for lateral sliding movement relative thereto, said channel member being of a width to fit snug in upper edge channel of the door with channel legs opposed to the respective heads of said adjusting screws. 7. A door operating arm for the pivotal mounting of a center-hung door and dimensioned for anchoring in a channel formed in the end edge of the door, said arm comprising (a) a hub portion having end means for embracing engagement of the arm with a driving spindle, (b) pivot means for said arm disposed forwardly of the said hub portion and extending from the arm into the base of the door channel when the arm is anchored therein to permit angular adjustment of the arm relative to the door, and (c) adjusting means mounted on the forward end of the arm for effecting the angular adjustment of the arm relative to the longitudinal center of the door channel, said adjusting means comprising (1) a pair of screws oppositely threaded into the forward end of the arm to project laterally therefrom toward the sides of the door channel, and (2) a channel plate mounted on the forward end of said arm and dimensioned to fit snug in the said door channel, said channel plate being mounted for transverse sliding movement relative to said arm and having flanges disposed to engage the ends of respective ones of said screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,530,331 Hubbs Nov. 14, 1950 2,545,378 Peck Mar. 13, 1951 2,972,788 Shean Feb. 28, 1961 3,002,218 Hollansworth Oct. 3, 1961 3,089,183 Martin May 14, 1963 

1. A DOOR-OPERATING ARM FOR MOUNTING THE UPPER END OF A CENTER-HUNG DOOR ON AN AXIALLY VERTICAL DRIVING SPINDLE, SAID ARM BEING DIMENSIONED FOR ANCHORING IN A CHANNEL FORMED IN THE UPPER END EDGE OF THE DOOR, AND COMPRISING (A) A HUB SECTION HAVING A REARWARDLY-OPEN RECESS, (B) A HUB EXTENSION ELEMENT HAVING A RECESS IN ONE FACE THEREOF COMPLEMENTAL TO THE HUB-SECTION RECESS, (C) A PAIR OF AXIALLY EXTENDING LATERALLY SPACED FASTENERS FOR ATTACHING THE HUB EXTENSION ELEMENT TO THE HUB SECTION WITH THE RESPECTIVE RECESSES EMBRACIVELY CLAMPING THE ARM TO SAID SPINDLE, AND (D) LATCH MEANS ON THE HUB SECTION POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE SAID SPINDLE FOR TEMPORARILY LATCHING THE DOOR TO THE SPINDLE WHEN THE DOOR IS SEATED ON AN ALIGNED BOTTOM PIVOT AND PENDING ASSEMBLY OF THE HUB EXTENSION ON THE HUB SECTION TO OPERATIVELY CLAMP THE ARM TO THE SPINDLE. 